Vitaliy Sachko Upsets Alexander Bublik at Moselle Open
Ukrainian lucky loser Vitaliy Sachko scored the biggest victory of his career on Wednesday at the Moselle Open, defeating World No. 13 Alexander Bublik 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. This win earned Sachko his first ATP Tour quarter-final appearance.
The 28-year-old held strong in the third set, not facing a single break point and seizing his opportunity in the 12th game to claim victory after two hours and nine minutes in Metz. Sachko's win dashed Bublik’s chances of finishing the year in the Top 10.
Ranking 186th in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, Sachko became the first Ukrainian to reach a tour-level quarter-final since Sergiy Stakhovsky in 2019 at Marseille.
#NextGenATP Performances at Metz
The American #NextGenATP player, Learner Tien, has had an impressive season. The 19-year-old reached his first ATP Tour final last month in Beijing and made it to the fourth round in ATP Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Shanghai.
Meanwhile, Alexander Blockx, who gained entry to the ATP 250 event in Metz thanks to the Next Gen Accelerator program, was unable to advance to the quarter-finals.
Other Quarter-Finalists
- Matteo Berrettini is into his fifth quarter-final of the season, all on hard courts.
- Tom Tabur will face Vitaliy Sachko in the quarter-finals.
- Daniel Altmaier advanced after Hugo Gaston retired at the end of the second set. Gaston won the first set 6-4, but Altmaier dominated the second 6-0. Altmaier will meet Lorenzo Sonego in the last eight.
"Sachko did not face a break point in the third set and pounced on his chance in the 12th game of the decider to triumph after two hours and nine minutes in Metz."
"Blockx took advantage of a Next Gen Accelerator spot into the ATP 250 as part of new opportunities for players aged 20 and under."
Author's summary: Vitaliy Sachko reached his first ATP quarter-final by defeating Alexander Bublik, while other rising talents like Learner Tien and Daniel Altmaier also advanced in Metz.